Redemption
by RinnaCarebim
Summary: The Gems never found Peridot in the Kindergarten, but Steven did. He has only one request: to be friends.
1. Chapter One: Uninterrupted Meeting

Steven looked around the Kindergarten, wondering what other Gems were born here. All the broken equipment and person-shaped holes wouldn't have looked so creepy had the surrounding area not been a foggy wasteland. He stopped when he heard a familiar voice coming from a hole. Her words became clearer as she neared the surface.

"…This is Peridot, updating status. Still stuck on miserable planet." she said with annoyance as she tapped away on a holographic screen. "The fusion experiments are developing properly, a few have even emerged early- YEUHAH!"

She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't notice the child standing only a few feet away from her. Steven was no threat, she knew he didn't want to fight and, frankly, neither did she. They stood silently for an awkward moment as Peridot looked around nervously, expecting the Crystal Gems to pop up any minute and demand a tussle. If she was lucky, he could just be adventuring by himself.

"Are the _other ones_ with you?" she asked quietly.

Steven shook his head, but it turned into a slow nod, then a quick nod as he shrugged. Peridot grimaced and closed her holograph. "Of course," she sighed, "why not?"

"They're over there, though." he said, pointing a finger in the direction the others had gone.

Somewhat relieved, the green Gem reopened her holograph and went back to her data, walking briskly in the opposite direction. "I'll just be leaving, then."

"Where are you going?" Steven asked.

Peridot looked at him in disbelief. "Why should I tell you that?"

Steven kept his usual innocent expression. "You don't have to, I was just curious." he said, trying to keep up with her.

"Why are you following me?" Peridot asked, noting that he continually matched her pace, even as it became a light jog.

"Aren't you lonely?" he asked.

"Pffft, why would you say that?" Peridot said with arrogance, proud of how independent she felt.

"You were talking to yourself."

Peridot blushed a little. "I was updating my status on this planet, like a journal." she replied.

Steven continued. "But aren't journals mostly for lonely people? I don't keep a journal, I just talk to my friends about everything. Pearl doesn't keep a journal, or Amethyst, or Garnet, or Connie, or my dad, or Lion-"

"I get the point." Peridot interrupted.

She had slowed down, realizing that the boy wouldn't be leaving her anytime soon. She continued her technical business and tried to ignore him, hoping that it would drive him away.

"Hey, Peridot?"

It had been so quiet that he had startled her. "What?" she sounded almost angry.

"Do you like Earth?" he asked.

"Of course not!" she said and stopped to look at him. "Why do you think I'm trying so hard to leave this disgusting place?"

Steven looked confused. "If you hate it so much, then why did you bring Lapis and Jasper to help you take it over?" he asked.

She was taken aback by this. Earth was relatively small compared to the other Gem-owned planets, and the humans had such short and weak lifespans that they wouldn't be worth enslaving. Why were they trying to take Earth? "Th-That's none of my concern! I'm just taking orders from Homeworld!" she nervously answered.

"Why does Homeworld want it?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"Why didn't they tell you?"

"I don't know."

"Why didn't you ask?"

"Will you stop?!"

Peridot covered her mouth, surprised by her volume. She looked around, then calmed when the area was still. She realized that they were pretty deep into the Kindergarten. "I have better things to do than play games with a child." she said, implying that he leave now.

She noticed the lack of footsteps behind her, but she felt as though she were being watched. She turned around and noticed a tuft of dark hair poking up from behind an injector. "Steven, I know you're there." she said.

The tuft ducked lower behind the injector's leg. Peridot sighed and started to approach, but stopped when she heard a low rumble. A large piece of glass was starting to fall from the top of the injector, weathered away by time. Peridot shut her eyes, knowing it may hurt a little, but she would definitely survive the impact. She heard the crunch as it shattered and prepared for the blow, but she was still standing. She opened her eyes and saw that she was under a pink shield, its wielder next to her.

"That was close." Steven huffed, having used quite a bit of his energy summoning the shield.

Peridot looked at him, at the innocence in his gaze. She was about to let some nicer words roll off of her tongue, but hurriedly stopped herself. "I would've survived, I'm very durable." she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You might've gotten hurt, though." Steven said.

"I would've been fine."

"But the glass could've broken into little tiny pieces and cut you all over."

"I could've retreated to my gem to regenerate."

It was quiet once more, and just as Peridot was about to take her leave, Steven spoke up. "I'm glad you're okay." he said.

Peridot stopped and turned around. She didn't know what to say. She could've sworn the boy was trying to squeeze some information out of her, but he didn't react when she refused an answer regarding her plans. She looked in his eyes, searching for any sign of deceit. That's when she saw it. Deep in that gaze, she could see innocent, understanding compassion. The very kind-hearted stare of Rose Quartz, the Gem that led the rebellion against the Homeworld, was looking back at her. There was no way this was Rose Quartz, but it was her symbol on the shield and her warm, loving soul inside.

"Steven, why do you have Rose Quartz's shield?" she asked.

Steven's expression changed to an indescribable state. He lifted his shirt, showing the gem. "Rose Quartz was my mom, I have her gem. I have some of her stuff, too, like a shield, and a bubble, and healing powers."

So many pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Of course! This was not Rose Quartz, but her son! She now knew why her containment field didn't stop him, he was half human! He must've managed to block the veil of power so that the Crystal Gems could escape. She had been wondering how they got out for quite some time now.

"Did your human father also disappear when you were given life?" she was still fuzzy on the concept of human reproduction.

"No, he works at a car wash and lives in a van."

Peridot was slightly surprised by the answer. She knew enough about Earth to understand that Steven's father sounded like a real… chump. The great Rose Quartz mothered the child of some nobody like that? "I see…" she said.

Another thought crossed her mind. Steven didn't seem to want to lie to her, so she could ask a few questions. "Whatever happened to Lapis Lazuli and Jasper after the crash?" she asked, pretending not to think it was too important.

She saw Steven frown and look down. "They fused, but Lapis imprisoned both of them at the bottom of the ocean. We don't really know where they are…"

"Malachite is loose?!" Peridot panicked.

"No, Lapis is holding the both of them down-"

"With rope? With chains? Did she manage to recreate my force field prison?"

"N-No… She's got water…" Steven felt nervous.

Peridot's expression sank. Did Lapis really think she could stop Jasper? With water, of all things?! Malachite could break free any minute and easily put her down! Jasper wasn't in this because of Homeworld's orders, she wanted to destroy and possibly meet Rose Quartz, only to want to destroy her, too. She was obviously less than satisfied with Peridot's performance and being in an unstable fusion would only turn her annoyance into fiery rage. With power like that, Peridot's gem could be shattered like the glass from earlier in less than a-

"Will Lapis be okay?" Steven asked.

"Why do you care so much about Lapis Lazuli?" she replied.

"She's nice, and we're friends."

"Friends?" Peridot asked with disgust.

"Yeah!" Steven smiled. "She was stuck in this mirror, and I pulled her gem out and fixed it so she could go home."

"You set her free? Weren't the others upset?"

"They were, but only for a little while. Lapis didn't want to hurt anyone, she just wanted to go home."

The Crystal Gems wouldn't have been so sweet to Lapis had she tried talking to them. The mirror would've been bubbled up and she would've never seen light again. Steven wasn't like them, though. Come to think of it, Rose wasn't like the others either. She saw beauty in the Earth and all of its inhabitants. She refused to aid the invasion and started a rebellion. Peridot thought about this. The others were after her, but Steven didn't seem to recognize her as the "bad guy". It was the same thing Rose had done, looking past the darker parts of the human race and seeing the good. Did Steven see something like that in her?

"Peridot?" his voice broke her thoughts again.

"…Yes?" her tone had warmed up a bit.

"Can we be friends, too?" he asked.

This was a bit sudden. Peridot's face flushed as she battled with herself internally. What should she say?

 _You can't be friends with a human!  
But Steven isn't completely human, he's part Gem.  
But he's with the enemy!  
He's not like the enemy, though.  
He's Rose's son, remember when Rose defeated your Homeworld?  
But that was Rose over 5,000 years ago, this is Steven, now._

"Steven!" a voice cut through the mist.

Peridot recognized it as Pearl's and ducked into one of the Gem-shaped indentions in the rock. Steven was disappointed that he hadn't gotten an answer, but he understood why she was hiding. He turned to see the Gems coming. "Come on, Steven, she must've gone somewhere else." Garnet said.

He trailed along behind them on their trip back to the warp pad. Peridot peered out of the hole, making sure that the group was definitely leaving. As she watched them fade away in the fog, Steven turned around and waved, nearly tripping as he tried to walk backwards. Almost unknowingly, Peridot lifted her arm and waved back.


	2. Chapter Two: Human Education

It was late, way past Steven's usual bedtime. He pretended to be asleep long enough for the Gems to enter the temple, where they wouldn't see or hear the warp pad's activation. He grabbed his backpack, stuffing it with sugary snacks and energy bars so he could stay awake, and headed to the warp pad. He stopped himself, remembering how Pearl had wanted someone watching him while he slept. He tucked pillows under the blankets, then placed a stuffed black poodle just barely under the covers. It looked like his hair, and the pillows looked like a curled up and soundly sleeping Steven Universe.

Another thought came to mind. What if the Gems were suspicious of the way he was sleeping? He placed an opened horror novel beside the bed, bookmarked on a page with an unsettling image of a swamp monster. They would definitely fall for a fearful little Steven hiding under his bedsheets. With his mind cleared, he raced to the warp pad and teleported to the Kindergarten.

It looked even creepier at night. Luckily he had a flashlight. This one emitted a dog-shaped beam of light. He walked to the spot he had seen Peridot in earlier and shone his light down the square-shaped hole. "Hey, Peridot?!" he called, "Are you down there?!"

He heard heavy footsteps and slid down to meet them. A flustered Peridot was there. "Shhh!" she hissed, "Can you announce my presence any louder?!"

"Oh, don't worry," Steven turned the flashlight off, "the Gems are back at the temple."

Relief flooded over Peridot's face. "What are you doing here? Don't humans need sleep?" she asked.

"I've got it covered!" Steven gave a thumbs up and pointed to his backpack. "Is there anywhere to sit?"

He looked around and noticed that there was an overlap where the Kindergarten's power source was located. It would be a perfect bench. Peridot followed him and took a seat, but distanced herself appropriately. Steven unzipped the cheese pouch on his backpack and opened a lemon soda and a peanut butter and chocolate chip granola bar. He noticed Peridot eyeing his snack with curiosity and grabbed another serving of each.

"Here." he said through a mouthful of chunky goodness.

Peridot looked at the items. Why was Steven putting these things in his mouth like that? Was this what he meant when he said he had his sleep deprivation issue "covered"? She held the can, noting that it was cold and wet on the outside, and placed the energy bar on her lap. What was she supposed to do?

Steven noticed her confusion and scooted over. "Like this," he popped the can open, leaving Peridot fascinated by the sound of the carbon rushing out, "now take a drink!"

"Why?" she asked.

"Because it's good! It tastes like lemonade, but sweeter and with carbohydrates, whatever those are." Steven said and took another drink of his.

Peridot watched closely, then attempted to mimic the action. She cringed as the cold liquid spilled onto her. Steven grabbed the can from her and set it down. He produced a mini water bottle and some napkins from his backpack, telling her to dampen the napkins so that she wouldn't feel sticky. Peridot sighed, Earth creatures made such complicated things.

"You have to open your mouth wide and hold this little hole up to it." he pointed to the opening in the aluminum can. "Then you get a mouthful of the soda and swallow it. Please don't spit it out, that's kind of gross."

Peridot raised her can slowly, unsure of what to expect. When the liquid flooded into her mouth, she was surprised by the tang. Whatever this was, it felt… pleasant. It was nice, the sweet flavor settling on her tongue. She looked over at Steven, who was giggling at the way she was holding the liquid in her mouth.

"You can swallow it now, you like a pufferfish." he laughed.

Swallow? Peridot remembered the way Steven's throat muscles contracted as the liquid disappeared. She focused, then allowed her own to do the same. The unfamiliar feeling caught her off guard, nearly bringing her to choke. It was odd, the feeling of that liquid sweetness cascading down the inner parts of her neck like that. She looked to Steven again, confident that she had successfully performed the act of "drinking".

"How was it?" he asked.

Peridot looked at the can and saw a little bit more left in the bottom. "It was… good." she replied and smoothly drank the rest.

She looked at the granola bar and wondered if it could also provide such a pleasant feeling when consumed through the mouth. "What is this?" she asked.

"This is a Papa Oatie's Whole Grain Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Energy Blast Bar!" Steven said with excitement.

Peridot looked at the wrapper, wondering why the thing was worthy of such an extravagant name. Steven peeled back the wrapper for her and held his own. "Just take a small bite and chew it up," he began to do so, "then swallow it, just like the soda."

Peridot looked at the brown surface, which was speckled with black and tan pieces. She opened her mouth once more, letting her teeth clamp down and tear a chunk of the food away. This was different. It was another pleasant taste, but there was more than just one. It was solid, but the flavor and texture were much more amazing. She continued to mash the food up until it was in a state similar to that of the soda, then swallowed.

"Do you like it?" Steven requested her opinion once more.

"It's good, too." she answered. "They're both so different, but it feels good to eat both of them."

She took another bite, performed the task of chewing, and swallowed once more. How could the humans have created something so amazing that the Gems didn't have?

"What is this act called?" she asked.

"Eating. If you have to chew it first, then it's food. If you can just swallow it, it's a drink." he yawned.

"Why do humans 'eat' and 'drink' these things?"

"We have to, or we get hungry and weak and die."

Steven's eyes were getting heavy. He started leaning forward, about to doze off. Peridot finished her food and noticed Steven's state. This must be a sign that he needed sleep. "I think you should go home, now." she said.

Steven hopped up. "No! I still need to show you something." he said and looked through another pocket of his cheeseburger backpack.

"What are you doing, now?" the green gem asked.

"Just leafing through the lettuce pouch." he laughed, silently congratulating himself for his pun.

From it, he brought out a small air pump and two flat pieces of cloth. He hooked one up and began pumping away, allowing the wad to slowly rise and take shape. He did this twice and unfolded what was once a large orange blanket but had now been cut down the middle to make two. "What are these, Steven?" Peridot asked.

Steven's expression told her that he was glad she had asked. "Air mattresses! Small ones that fit in backpacks." he explained with enthusiasm. "You know how to eat and drink, and now I'm gonna teach you how to sleep!"

"Sleep? Why?"

"It's refreshing and relaxing and you can have cool dreams." he pointed to the makeshift bed opposite of his and gave her the classic excited Steven look.

Peridot wondered if this could feel as pleasing as eating and drinking. "What do I do?"

"Lay down like this, get nice and comfy, then pull the blankets up over your face and close your eyes." Steven became an example in his bed.

She copied him, but didn't fully understand. Would something happen?

"Don't think about anything, just relax and be nice and warm." Steven yawned and faded away into a dream.

Relax. This was pretty soothing. Just her, the mattress, the warm, cozy blanket, and…

The Kindergarten. She was back. Peridot looked around, slightly panicking. "Steven? Steven, where did you go?" she called out.

"Peridot!"

She turned around and saw poor Steven looking up in horror as a large shard of glass fell towards him. With little to no thought, Peridot ran over and grabbed him, rolling under the incubator for safety. She tried to look at him, but the Crystal Gems appeared out of nowhere, attempting to snatch him away.

"We'll get you, Peridot! Just you wait!" they screamed as they chased her.

Just as they were about to catch her, she woke up. Reality came back. Steven was fast asleep and lightly snoring. He needed to get home before the Gems missed him. Quickly and quietly, she picked him up and hurried to the warp pad.

Her heart sank as she stood in the temple. She scanned the room and found Steven's bed, where several pillows and a toy had become a strategic dummy. She smiled, but hurriedly brushed them aside and tucked the child in as if he had slept in his bed all night. Now she had done it, a successful drop-off and now a clean getaway. Oh, Peridot, you've really outdone your-

 _BUUURP!_

She felt the air rise from her insides and almost fainted at how loud the sound she had just made was. To her horror, a large, pink lion appeared from under the staircase. It looked at her, but didn't move. Peridot gave a nervous smile and a shaky wave, then scurried back to the warp pad. Lion yawned and dismissed her as she was engulfed in the cyan light.

Peridot practically ran back to her little hiding place. The lion wouldn't do anything, right? She sat down on her air mattress and thought about her dream. She… she saved Steven. It wasn't a consideration, it was like instinct. She saved him and tried to run away from the Crystal Gems with him. Their soda cans and wrappers were still on the floor, and she had just realized that Steven's backpack was still there. He might come back tomorrow. She looked at the novelty item and remembered what Steven had asked her.

" _Peridot? Can we be friends, too?"_

"Friends…" she whispered, "with a human…"


	3. Chapter Three: Chocolate Smoothies

Steven stretched, welcoming the rays of the new day's sun. "How did you like sleeping, Peri-"

He realized that he was in his room when he heard Amethyst shut the fridge. "Hey, Ste-man." the purple Gem greeted.

"Oh," Steven got out of bed and looked around, wondering if Peridot was hiding close by, "hi, Amethyst."

"Who's Perry?" she asked and shoved several different foods into her mouth.

"Huh?"

"You just asked 'Perry' how he liked sleeping a minute ago. You made some new friend?"

Steven's stomach turned a little. He had almost let himself get caught going to see Peridot. He panicked, knowing Amethyst might suspect if he didn't answer quickly. "Uh, yeah. He was in my dream just now." Steven said with a smile.

Amethyst bought every word of it. She didn't seem to mind at all. "Cool. Hey, could you get some more macaroni and cheese at the store while you're out today? Thanks." and with that, she left Steven to his own devices as she stepped outside.

He wondered about going back to see Peridot, but he didn't know if he could get away with just warping to the Kindergarten at this hour. He was still in his pajamas, after all. Did it really, matter though? He heard the door to the temple open and saw Garnet walk out, preparing to use the warp pad.

"Hey, Garnet!" he called.

"Hello, Steven." she smiled in her calm way.

"Can I go to that island where the invisible Gem monster used to be?"

Garnet was silent, as if waiting for him to explain further. "It's pretty and fun to go swimming and now it's safe from the Gem thing! I'll take lunch with me…" he hoped his case was convincing enough.

Garnet ruffled his hair and spoke gently. "Eat some breakfast first. Be careful and come home before it gets late."

Steven's eyes lit up. "Okay! Thanks, Garnet!" he said and ran to change.

Sadie stuffed Steven's order into a bag, wondering why Steven looked so upset. She placed the bag on the counter and smiled, but the boy had zoned out. "So." she tried to snap him out of his depressed trance. "You've ordered a lot of donuts today. Got plans with someone special?"

Steven handed her the money and sighed. "Yeah. Sadie, can I tell you a secret?"

Sadie happily obliged, hoping that taking whatever it was off his chest would improve his mood. "Of course, Steven. What is it?"

He sighed and prepared to speak. "Well, the Gems are after this other Gem named Peridot. She's the reason you had to leave Beach City a while back. Well, her and this beefy Jasper gal. Anyway, I met her personally yesterday, and she isn't as bad as they think. She doesn't want to take over the Earth herself, she's just following orders. I'm going to see her today, but I had to lie to Garnet about it. I feel like I'm a bad person, Sadie." Steven had almost never looked so sad.

Sadie reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, Steven, it sounds like you're doing a good thing." she said.

A ray of hope glittered in his eyes. "You really think so?" he asked.

"Yeah! You're giving… Peridot a chance!" she had to pause to think of the name. "You're looking at who she is, not what she does. That's great! I bet you two will be best friends in no time!"

Steven thought about this. Maybe he could do it. Maybe he could convince Peridot that the Earth was a nice place and they could be friends. She might even join the Crystal Gems! Pearl and Amethyst might be a little sketchy of taking her in, but he knew Garnet would trust his intentions. There was even an extra room in the temple!

Before he knew it, Steven was beaming. "Thanks, Sadie!" he said and ran out the door.

He returned after remembering his donuts, still smiling from ear to ear.

* * *

"Steven, there's a hole in it!" Peridot said as she looked through the donut, clearly seeing the other side.

"There's supposed to be," he laughed, "it makes it easier to hold."

She observed how he had interlocked his fingers through to ring-shaped food and held it up to his mouth with a gentle grip. This was a genius idea! Who knew humans were capable of producing intelligently designed foods like "donuts"? One bite and she was in love with the tastes of the deep fried dough, chocolate coating, and rainbow sprinkles. She slowly ate around the circle, savoring the sweetness.

"When you get done with that one, try this." he placed another donut on a napkin next to her.

"Why doesn't this one have a hole in it?" she asked.

"It's crème filled." Steven said. "Don't squeeze it or you'll make another mess on yourself."

What was "crème"? Only one way to find out. She held the donut gently, as Steven instructed, and took a bite. The dough had been stuffed with what had the texture of a thick liquid. The combination of the sweet substance with the flavor properties of a donut was absolutely amazing. "Unbelievable!" she exclaimed.

"I know, right?" Steven laughed.

Peridot thought about yesterday as she finished the breakfast Steven brought over. "Hey, Steven," her words were somewhat muffled by food, "something weird happened last night."

"What?"

"When I tried 'sleeping', I somehow ended up back outside in the Kindergarten. You were there, and so were the Gems."

"Oh, that's called dreaming. It's a fake movie in your head that makes it feel real. It goes away when you wake up."

"I see."

Dreams. Little illusions brought on by sleeping. Interesting. She recalled taking Steven back to the temple and remembered another questionable event. "Steven, after I took you home, I was trying to sneak back to the warp pad and a horrendous sound came from my mouth." she said, her eyes widening.

Steven looked blankly at her. She decided to go into more detail. "I felt like something was coming up from my insides and, all of the sudden, a gust of air came out and it made this disgustingly loud noise!"

Steven's face faded back into a pleasant expression as he recognized what she was referring to. "Those are just burps. They happen sometimes when you eat and drink. You're supposed to say 'excuse me' after you do it, Pearl said so."

Food caused this? How could something so amazing result in something so obnoxious? She had to admit that it was a little too good to be true. There's no way she could have such a wonderful experience without consequences afterward. But food was so good…

"I see." she said, sadly.

"It's not bad." he encouraged, "I've done it before. Amethyst does it a lot."

She perked up. If another Gem also faced this (and faced it ever so nonchalantly) it must be a perfectly normal side effect of eating and drinking. She happily finished her donut, confident that this was only a minor issue and she couldn't suffer any real damage.

"Where do you get food, Steven?" she asked.

"I got the snacks from the store, but these came from the Big Donut."

"The Big Donut? Is there a larger donut out there that produces smaller donuts for humans to gather?"

"Actually-"

"Is like an Earth plant? Do they grow on the sides? Do they sprout from giant sprinkles on top of the Big Donut?!" Peridot explored the possibilities vividly in her imagination.

"Um… I know! Let's go to Beach City and I'll show you!" Steven said.

Secretly, Peridot wanted to see where these donuts came from. The temple was in Beach City, though!

"What about the Crystal Gems?" she asked.

"They don't go in town a lot. Pearl doesn't like it, and neither does Garnet. Amethyst goes sometimes, but just to eat. Then she sleeps on the couch for a while."

It sounded safe enough. Even if the Gems tried to attack, Steven would protect her, right? With the shield of Rose Quartz herself! How would they get there, though?

"I can't warp to the temple in broad daylight!" she protested.

That was a problem. Steven had an idea. "You can't," he said, "but I can!"

* * *

"Oh, hello, Steven." Pearl greeted. "Garnet said you were busy today."

"I am! I was thinking I could take Lion with me and try training him!" Steven lied.

"That's a great idea." she said as she gathered up his laundry. "You might be able to use his abilities, then. He is a part of the Felidae family, so you could try a few common technique in training housecats, like using a-"

"Thanks for the advice, Pearl, bye!" Steven had lured the pink beast to the warp pad with a donut and hurriedly went back to the Kindergarten.

* * *

Lion was suspicious of the Kindergarten, lightly growling at the deactivated machines. Peridot waited nearby, but hid when she saw the lion step off of the warp pad. "Hey, Peridot! I know how we're gonna get to town!" he called out.

"Steven?" she peered out from behind the incubator's leg.

When he saw her peek out, he waved to her. "It's okay, he's tame!" he reassured her.

She approached cautiously, afraid that it would recognize her from last night. Lion circled her, looking her over and sniffing her up and down. She stood as still as a statue, scared that making one wrong move might set it off. Her fears were calmed when the large beast sat and began grooming himself by licking his paws.

"I think he likes you." Steven said and smiled.

"I see. Steven, how is this going to get us to Beach City?"

"You'll see," he said, "get on his back!"

Though reluctant, Peridot climbed onto the lion and sat right behind Steven. "Hey, Lion, will you take us to the Big Donut? I'll get you a Lion Licker!" Steven bribed.

Lion knew what certain words meant, especially words that turned out to be things he liked. He let out a roar and jumped into the portal, Peridot clinging onto his back with absolute fear. What was this? Was he traveling through the fabric of space? The portal reopened, and the three of them were outside the Big Donut.

"This is the Big Donut." Steven introduced the building.

Peridot shakily let go of Lion, then stared at the large donut on top of the store. "Is _that_ the Big Donut?" she asked, pointing to the fake food.

"No, that's just the sign. The donuts are inside." he led her inside, holding the door for her. "After you."

Lion walked past her, pressing his face to the glass of the Lion Lickers' display. Peridot looked around, taking in the appearance of the donut shop with wonder. She was amazed, there were so many donuts! Some were shaped like rings, some were "crème filled", and some were like none she'd ever seen before. Some things didn't look like donuts at all and were kept behind glass.

"Hey, Steven," Sadie said as she took a sip of coffee, "is this your friend?"

A short and slightly chubby female human was behind a counter. Next to her was a lanky male human with large holes in his earlobes. Perhaps they were battle scars. He had some kind of miniature speakers playing music in his ears and was tapping his fingers and humming.

"Hi, Sadie." Steven said. "Sadie, this is Peridot. Peridot, this is Sadie, and that's Lars. They work here."

Upon hearing his name, Lars looked up. He frowned slightly at Steven, but not at the pretty lady he brought in with him. He quickly stood up straight and dropped his headset, trying to look cool. Sadie smiled and waved. "Hi, Peridot. Any friend of Steven's is a friend of mine!"

Lars cleared his throat. "Hey." he said.

"What can I get you guys?" Sadie asked.

"Well, Lion wants a Lion Licker, and we just ate, so…" Steven was in a moment of deep thought. "How about two chocolate smoothies?"

Lars laughed. "Smoothies are made with fruit, Ste-"

"You got it, Steven." Sadie laughed.

As she poured the ingredients into the mixer, Lars walked over. "Sadie, you can't make a chocolate smoothie." he argued.

"Sure you can," she pressed the button on the blender, "just replace whatever fruit you were gonna mix in with chocolate squares and you have a chocolate smoothie."

That actually sounded pretty good. "Huh." he shrugged. "Who came up with that?"

"Steven did. It was that Wednesday you sat in the break room for half the day."

"Oh, yeah."

Steven gave Sadie the money and handed Peridot her smoothie. "Nice to meet you, Peridot." Sadie said as Steven went to get Lion his ice cream sandwich.

Peridot looked around, then offered a nervous smile. Sadie returned the kind gesture, understanding her shyness. "Come back anytime!" she said.

"Yeah," Lars winked, "anytime."

Peridot didn't think she'd like that one as much as the other. Steven unwrapped the Lion Licker and handed it to his pet. "There you go, Lion," he said as he fulfilled his promise, "but the Cookie Cats were better."

"Steven, how do I drink this? There's a big stick in it." Peridot toyed with the lid.

"That's a straw. You put your mouth on it, like this." he took a drink from his.

She copied the action. This seemed to be a mixture of solid and liquid. A cold one. It was good, too. "Don't drink too much or you'll get-"

A light pain shot through Peridot's forehead. She pinched the bridge of her nose and released her grip on the drinking device. "Agh! What is this?" she groaned.

"…Brain freeze." Steven said. "If you eat cold stuff too fast, you get a headache."

It faded faster than she thought. Not too fast, huh? She might as well save some. It was a small container, after all. "Where are we going now?" she asked.

"You wanna see the rest of the boardwalk? There are some cool things to do, like playing games and winning prizes and-" he had a great idea, "This way, this way!"

He grabbed her "fingers", which detached and left with him. She hurried after him, calling his name.

"Steven, wait! I need those!"


	4. Chapter Four: The Bears

"Look, there's a new game!" Steven said and pointed to a large box with a screen.

This place was full of shining lights and colorful posters. Peridot saw many children Steven's age and a few that were slightly older interacting with the bulky boxes all around the cozy arcade. Some looked at her with mild interest, but most were too absorbed in the screens before them. "Steven, what is this place?" she asked quietly, as if one of the human children would hear.

"This is Funland Arcade!" he said and threw his arms up in the air. "The most awesome arcade in Beach City! And the only arcade in Beach City."

He continued off to the new game, then motioned for her to come and look. There was a picture of a bubbly young girl dancing on a square posted above the screen. In front of the game stood two areas that had safety bars surrounding their perimeters. In both areas were differently colored squares, made of three rows of three smaller squares. What could they be used for?

"What are these?" she asked with fascination.

"This is a game called Dance Dance-Tacular!" he explained and took a handful of quarters out of his pocket. "

He deposited two coins in separate slots on the lower left side, then started pushing buttons. "Will you play it with me?" he looked up at Peridot.

"Oh, I'm not a good dancer," she shook her head, "I'm just a-"

"Pleeeease?" Steven begged, his eyes wide and wavering gently as he smiled.

Peridot blinked, her lip trembling slightly. "Steven, I don't even know how to-"

"You don't have to know anything, it tells you what to do!" he said and picked the song.

Peridot considered the idea. If she was instructed on what to do, she could learn something new. It would also be a great opportunity to see what Earth technology was capable of. This was a machine built to test the physical abilities of weakling humans, certainly a Gem like her could show this planet why the Homeworld looked down upon it so much. "I guess I could try to learn-"

Steven immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her onto a square. He eagerly jumped to the center square on his own. The screen in front of her read "GET READY TO DANCE IT UP!" in big, rainbow colored letters. A timer started, counting down form three. "W-Wait, what exactly am I supposed to do?" she panicked.

"See the colors on the squares? You step on the same color with the foot it tells you to when they pop up on the screen." Steven explained, pointing as he spoke.

It was a simple concept, really. Peridot was confident that she could surely complete this and rise above the game's childish expectations. She readied herself for the first command, her eyes locked on the screen. An upbeat tune started playing, and an iconic version of the young girl representing the game appeared above two screens, each labeled by the players.

"You're the one on the left." Steven said quickly. "Get ready…"

Colored squares began falling and landing on an animated version of the square Peridot was standing. She began to copy the pattern, focusing all of her being into stepping on the squares in the correct order. Everything else in the world was momentarily ignored, especially the annoying voice saying, "Great job! Nice moves! Keep it up!"

After a moment, the squares began falling faster, and some required that she move both feet at once. Still, she followed the steps flawlessly, processing every move possibility quickly and with incredible precision. It was a mere game in the beginning, but now she was facing an amazing challenge of speed and accuracy. Step by step, she started noticing a reoccurring pattern. Careful probability calculations were leading to an easier success. Just as things seemed to be heating up to her level, the squares stopped falling.

"Player 1 wins! Great job!" the cartoon child said and spun in a circle as confetti fell all around her.

Peridot smiled with pride. "What can we do next, Steven?" she folded her arms and grinned.

Steven was silent. Behind him stood a crowd that used to be occupied with their video games, each of them gawking at how she had mastered the game on her first try.

"Whoa, did you see that?"

"Yeah, she rocked that game!"

"That was the hardest song, she's awesome!"

The crowd's whispers made her blush. She could get used to this. It's not like she didn't deserve a little bit of this every now and then, after all. A poke at her ankle made her look down. The machine was spitting out some kind of string of paper rectangles loosely attached to one another.

"Look at all these tickets!" Steven's eyes sparkled as the machine kept going.

"What are 'tickets' for?" she asked, watching Steven eagerly gather up the wad of paper.

"You get lots of 'em for winning, and when you take them to the counter, you get prizes!"

"I see." she held a single rectangle in her hand, noticing that there was a picture of an adult human male smiling wide printed on the cover.

It was a strange form of currency. What were the prizes supposed to be? The target age group of this place was obviously children, meaning that the reward for participating in such a game wouldn't be anything grand. Didn't Steven insert something into the machine to access the game beforehand?

"Steven, what were those shiny disks you had to put in the machine before it granted you permission to play the game?" she asked as she watched him attempt to fix the tangles in the jumble of tickets he held.

"Oh, those are quarters. Their called quarters because they're a quarter of a dollar."

"How do you get those?"

"I get some from Dad, sometimes. I find some on the sidewalks and in the floor, too." he said.

Were they just a lucky find? Quarters sounded like rarities that could easily be used to negotiate trades for prizes of extreme benefit. If a quarter was only a fraction of a dollar, imagine what could be done with multiple dollars! Why even use them to gain these tickets? Couldn't you just barter the quarters or dollars for the prizes and skip such a trivial step? Human currency was so complicated, her head was starting to ache.

"You got a lot of tickets, I bet we can something cool with just these." Steven broke her train of thought.

She thought about asking him more details on the matter of how quarters, dollars, and tickets worked, but Steven was only a child. There was no way something like that could make sense to an underdeveloped mind like his. They would be suitable for children, but surely the prizes would be interesting nonetheless.

She followed him to a counter where a young lady roughly the age of the heavy woman at the Big Donut stood. Without a word she began slipping the stream of tickets through a machine. Peridot quickly grasped the idea of the counter. It was an efficient way to recycle and reuse the tickets so that making more was no longer necessary. Why was so much power bestowed upon such a useless piece of paper?

"What do you want to get, Peridot?" Steven asked.

The toys and candies were of no interest to her. What could she possibly do with those? Wasn't Steven excited to get something? "Why don't you get one of those candy things, Steven?" she suggested.

"I didn't really earn these tickets, though, you did." he said. "Come on, Peridot. I bet you'll like what you pick out!"

She sighed, letting her gaze run over the shelves. There were odd little trinkets with the price in tickets listed below them. "Um… One of those?" she pointed to a stuffed bear with glasses and a bowtie.

The woman reached into a box and handed her one of the toys. "Ma'am, you have enough tickets to get another of this prize and a handful of candy, would you like to finish it off?" the woman asked dully.

"Sure." it really didn't matter, but now Steven could have one, too.

"I'm sorry, but we are fresh out of Nerdy Wordy Bears, would you like a different prize?" she slouched and looked at Steven without a hint of life in her.

"I've always wanted a Right Knight Bear to go with the others, but I never got enough tickets." he said, watching as the bear was produced from a differently labeled box.

Steven stuffed the candy in his pocket and handed Peridot her bear. "Here, let's go do something else!"

He started to grab her other hand, but she quickly moved it out of his reach. "Let's walk." she said and clutched her digits.


	5. Chapter Five: Warm

"YAAAH!" Peridot screamed out, drawing attention from all over the boardwalk.

She grabbed Steven by the shoulder and stood in front of him as her fingers rearranged to become a small zap gun. "Steven, get back!" she warned.

"Peridot, wait! That's not a monster, it's a fry guy!"

It looked horrible, like some misshapen creature that had crawled out from underneath the darkest, moldiest, rustiest bed in a bunker that was as old as Gem culture itself. Who on Earth would create such a horrid thing and allow it live like this? The nicest thing you could do for something like that would be to put it out of its misery! She had doubts, but Steven pulled through for her. Somehow, a small and skinny child climbed out of the back of it.

"D-Don't shoot!" he begged, shakily throwing his hands in the air. "It's not mine, it's my brother's!"

Seeing as the hideous thing was only a shell surrounding the boy before them, Peridot retracted her little gun. She let go of Steven and continued to scan the layer of human trash that had been tossed onto the ground, wondering what sort of malevolence it could carry. "What is this garbage?" she asked, prodding at its face.

"That's Frybo. Well, it's his head, at least." Steven answered, then looked to Peedee. "I thought you guys got rid of Frybo."

"We did, but Ronaldo needed the head so he could make a costume for some convention he's going to next weekend." Peedee's voice shook, as he was still wary of Steven's new friend.

"Oh, this is Peridot." Steven gestured to the Gem who stood over him.

"H-Hi. Welcome to Beach Citywalk Fries, Miss Peridot." the boy shook with fear.

Peridot could almost smell just how scared the kid was of her. His eyes were wide, his knees were knocking, and he had a bit of a stutter that wasn't present earlier in his short conversation with Steven. She wondered what Steven could possibly want from such a skittish human that ran such a shabby place. "You know why I'm here, Peedee!" Steven laughed. "I'm all about the-"

"BITS! Bits, coming right up!" he dashed into the kitchen and returned quickly with two side dishes of fry bits. "O-One for you, and one for the l-lovely lady…" he served and slightly ducked behind the counter.

Steven placed the money on said counter and looked to the green Gem accompanying him. "I thought you'd like the bits because the actual fries look like your fingers." he said.

"I see," she sighed, recalling how she had to chase him down when he ran off the first time, "how considerate of you."

She was running out of room to hold things. Now she had about a third of a chocolate smoothie, a silly toy, and these "bits". She followed Steven to a picnic area where a few humans had gathered together in groups. "We can sit here and rest for a while." he took everything out of her hands and placed them on a picnic table.

She joined him and started eating her fry bits. It was fascinating how everything had a unique taste. Mixing the saltiness of the bits and the sweetness of the smoothie was a satisfying mix that made Earth seem enjoyable. Somewhat.

"Ya know, Peridot," Steven quickly swallowed a few bits, "you aren't bad at all. You're pretty fun to hang out with."

More compliments. Her pride was swelling like a sponge, some of it taking the form of a blush on her face. "Well, I am pretty great." she realized that even she had to admit that much.

"I wish the Gems knew that." Steven looked down and let his feet swing. "Then no one would have to fight anymore."

Steven was so oblivious to the horror of reality around him. He had one simple mindset: to be in a world of complete peace and friendship. It was a sweet aspect that made the idea of such blissful innocence seem like the perfect escape from life itself. The Crystal Gems had raised him, and, even if he could witness the bloodshed that occurred because of the rebellion they were a part of, he'd still believe that they were good on the inside. It seemed as if Steven believed that everyone had something good in them.

"What if they find me?" she whispered aloud.

Steven looked up, noting the sad fear in her tone. "I'll tell them to leave you alone because you're actually good."

"What if they won't listen, Steven?" Peridot looked so depressed. "What if they beat me up, bubble me, and get you in trouble for fraternizing with the enemy? I don't trust them. They're _my_ enemy, too!"

"They don't have to be!" he said with a hopeful voice, "I can't fix this with you guys always hating each other. If you'll help me out and try to think about the good things they do, I might be able to get them to think of the good things you do."

Steven's plan involved no weapons, war, or chaos, but this would be one of Peridot's most difficult tasks. She hated those Gems with all of her being, how could she possibly befriend them like school children so easily? No doubt they would instantly attack her with everything they had and possibly more! Maybe if they'd hop off their high horse and listen to Steven she wouldn't have found them so appalling.

"What do you say?" Steven was almost desperate for a good answer.

"It's just, they're so… so… arrogant… gross… weird… never consider the idea… rush out into battle… won't even…" she mumbled, crossing her arms.

As intelligent and mature as Peridot's personality was, Steven thought moments like this made her look like a cranky child that didn't get their way. He thought about having a small version of Peridot that played with him and constantly annoyed Pearl. It was a funny image that made him laugh.

Peridot stopped grumbling when she saw him giggling. What was he grinning about? Just as she was about to question him, he put two arms around her waist and gently pressed against her, still smiling. "S-Steven," Peridot was slightly uncomfortable with the way he was holding on to her, showing in her voice, "why are you latching on to me?"

Did he not like her answer? Could humans stick to someone like this and sap the life out of them? Her swirling thoughts were put to rest easily, however. "It's called a hug." he said, looking up at her as he held on.

"A hug?"

"Yeah! It's what you do when you want to show someone that you're their friend."

Relieved that this was simply a showing of the sweet child's affection, Peridot relaxed her shoulders. The thought of Steven suddenly wanting to squeeze her to death was rather uncanny, after all. She looked down at him, his round, dark eyes still staring into her, and tried to read his expressions.

"Hey, Peridot?"

"Yes, Steven?"

"Are we friends now?"

She was caught off guard. How was she supposed to respond? It would make it awkward no matter what she said! With only a little bit of time to consider, she reached out and returned the hug. What did this mean? It was warm. Not just on the outside, but she felt truly warm. It was more pleasant than every donut, smoothie, and soda combined. She was friends with the enemy. Well, the enemy's child accomplice. Jasper wouldn't like it, Yellow Diamond wouldn't like it, the Crystal Gems certainly wouldn't like it, but her answer was final, and Steven liked that answer.


	6. Chapter Six: Fryboy

"Shoo! Get your own bits!" Steven flailed his arms in a desperate attempt to save his food from the seagull swarm.

The birds were persistent, even resorting to pecking Steven himself. "Ow, ow! Is this the thanks I get for giving you the rest of that bread I never ate?"

A short but loud boom scared the flock away. Steven turned to Peridot, who had shot into the air with the weapon concealed in her fingers. "Filthy vermin!" she said and glared at them as they flew off, squawking.

"Aw, cool, what is that?" Steven looked at the formation.

He had seen it only a short while ago and stopped her from firing, hadn't he? Had it gotten cooler since then? Firing the shot may have proven its real abilities and captured his attention.

"I guess you could call it a 'hand' gun." he laughed both at and with himself for the joke.

Peridot stared blankly at him. It wasn't a "gun" at all, it was a cannon. Trying to learn Earth humor would be like mastering another language, she thought. Steven realized that she hadn't gotten the pun and looked at her food. "Oh, I didn't know you were already finished. I want you to meet another friend of mine before we leave the city! I mean, if you want to." he gave her the puppy eyes.

Learning about the creatures of this planet and cultures they shared was much more entertaining than sitting on the air mattress in the Kindergarten and trying to master the short hibernation period humans were cursed to naturally practice. She would've gone without the extra convincing, but was still a little too proud to admit that she was, indeed, lonely on this planet. "It's been a long day, but I'll go." she said, dramatically.

"Alright, to…" Steven spun his hand in a circle and suddenly pointed, "…that way!"

Peridot watched with a bit of confusion as he deposited the remnants of the meal into a large, plastic container. Was he storing them? Was this some kind of donation box for those without food? She couldn't ponder the object's purpose for long, Steven had started running. Just as she went to follow him, she looked down in horror.

"Steven!" she shouted and ran after him as fast as she could. "Stop grabbing my fingers!"

* * *

"Is this some kind of communication tower?" Peridot asked as she looked the massive building over.

"No, it's a lighthouse. I bet Ronaldo's here, Peedee was working everything." Steven opened the door and stepped inside.

Peridot cautiously followed him in. The inside was less than impressive. Steven's human friends came in all shapes and sizes, giving her some suspense as to what this one would be like. She breathed deeply, calming herself so that she could make a good first impression on at least one of Steven's little buddies. She was Peridot, a Gem who was calm, cool, collected, and-

"Hey Ronaldo, are you up there?!"

She jumped, almost ready to pounce on the boy for scaring her like that, but she focused her attention on the heavy footsteps pounding down the stairs from the upper level. She stuck to the wall, narrowly evading the bulky teen as he looked out into the room from the bottom of the staircase. "Steven? You won't believe this! The back of this VHS tape has a code that, when combined with the codes of several other, becomes an anagram that relates the-"

"Hold on, Ronaldo, I'm not here to listen to nerd stuff."

"Wait until you see it, Steven, you'll have to belie-" the chubby Fryman stopped.

Peridot froze up as he looked her in the eyes. This one was different from the others. Not just physically, but his presence gave her chills. "Steven, look," he backed up, then pointed to her, "it's an eco-terrorist android! She's come to let the zoo animals out!"

What?

"You can't let them out, you don't understand! We're controlling the climate so they can live without facing the constant threat of extinction by abduction! You can't attack the zoo!"

What the heck was a zoo?

"Ronaldo, she's not an android! She's a Gem, like Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst!" Steven pulled him back and out of said Gem's face.

Ronaldo was too sure of it, though. "Look at her, Steven! I bet she only speaks batch. Ahem, _echo off_."

Did he just insult her in some form of profanity Steven couldn't understand?

"This is Peridot, she's new on Earth, so I'm showing her around. I thought we'd come visit you." Steven said and smiled politely.

Ronaldo knew that Steven wouldn't lie about Gem-related things, but what if this android was only pretending to be a Gem so she could use him as an escort? He squinted through his glasses and looked at her closely. "Are you _sure_ she's trustworthy? How do you know she's really a Gem?" he asked.

Peridot was unsure of this human's mental state. Was he even safe for Steven to talk to? He was obviously much bigger and could easily intimidate little Steven into submission. If he thought he could have her do the same he was about to heavily rethink that idea, starting with a conference between his face and her fist. As badly as she wanted to do it, this was one of Steven's friends. After scaring the pants off of the last one, she decided to bite her tongue.

"Yeah, I'm triple sure! She's not a robot, Ronaldo, I promise!" Steven said.

Steven was the only one that really listened to Ronaldo's claims about the constant threats surrounding them, surely he knew how to identify these things by now. Just to make sure, he held out a refrigerator magnet that he had in his pocket. It didn't stick, meaning she was not made of metal. "Alright, miss, it appears you are as my comrade says you are, and I welcome you to _La Casa de Ronaldo_!"

It was quiet. Peridot looked at Steven, who was waiting for her to say something. What should she say? She couldn't get cold feet in front of a human! "Um… Hello." she managed to choke out.

It was a custom to use such a greeting during an introduction, right? Maybe it was a little late in the exposition to do so, now. Ronaldo's suspicion seemed to be fading. "You don't sound like an android, either. That's good, I wouldn't want to have to bring out the traps on one of Steven's cute friends." he said.

"Excuse me?" Peridot crinkled her nose. "I am not-"

"Look at _this_." the blond shoved a manga in Steven's face, causing the boy to gasp. "I even got you a copy."

"Whoa, thanks, Ronaldo! I was really wanting to know how they stopped the giant robot from crushing the city!"

"The term is 'mecha', Steven." Ronaldo said and pushed his glasses up.

What were they talking about? She expected such antics from a child like Steven, but this human was almost an adult male! Perhaps he was only a supplier of these cartoon books. "Check it out, Peridot!" Steven pointed to a character on a page.

The character was female, with exceptionally long and unnaturally colored hair put up in an odd hairstyle and loaded with accessories. She had an outfit with an extremely short skirt, but somehow the surrounding environment in each frame managed to act as a censor whenever the threat of wind was present. She was holding some kind of staff adorned with etchings of wings, clouds, and hearts that she used to furiously battle a large, robotic creature. Steven seemed absolutely captivated by the image sequences.

"I, too, was worried when the series hit a hiatus," Ronaldo's voice deepened with the drama, "but _Magic Mecha Monster Fighter Rin-chan_ has officially released the next chapter of her quest to save…"

Peridot couldn't listen to such a fairytale any longer. She blocked the stranger out and looked around. The walls were in slight disrepair, there were a few cobwebs in the corners, and everything had a thin layer of dust sitting on it. He seemed to be living in the upper part of the building, as the ground floor was almost completely bare. How could he _live_ here? Maybe it was only a base of some kind. She would have to ask Steven later.

"…And the makers joined a forum to announce that, in the nest series, her brother will return with a new spell!"

"Whoa, cool!" Steven seemed to be amazed by the lengthy story laced with flaws.

"I even got the first season of the anime adaptation on DVD!"

"What? It hasn't been released yet!"

"This is the original, straight from Japan, but there's an English subtitle option!"

"Yeah! It'll be just like the first movies of _Lonely Blade_!"

The two were running up the steps, panting. Peridot briefly considered staying downstairs or even heading back to the Kindergarten, but she was in the City. If the Crystal Gems popped up now, she'd be defenseless. It was safer to stick with Steven. The steps creaked slightly, but seemed to be in decent condition to hold her up. Steven sat on a couch, eagerly waiting as Ronaldo inserted a flat disc into some kind of device.

"You can sit with me, if you want." Steven looked up at her. "You haven't read the comics, but I'm sure you'll pick up on it."

Peridot took a seat beside him. When trying to tap into Earth's communication system and see if the Crystal Gems were tracking her through the frequencies of her holograph, she had seen several cartoons streaming to a device in their temple. They were very childish, too immature for even the likes of the plump purple one's mind. She looked up as the screen lit up and music began playing.

" _Watashi wa Rin, Rin, Rin!  
Watashi wa mahōdesu!"_

A cartoon girl, similar in design to the one in Steven's book, was swinging her staff and dancing against a pink and blue background. There were several clips of her fighting mechanical monsters and other characters dramatically looking at the camera and dancing along. It was absolute stupidity. This was meant to entertain a young human offspring, why in the world was someone Ronaldo's age obsessing over it?

Maybe this is what was natural for humans. Perhaps this is the only way they could efficiently entertain themselves, a box that created moving images. She sighed, somewhat pitying the planet for its dependence on trivial things. She wondered if that would be the ultimate downfall of this race, their television sets being used against them. One could easily hypnotize them with propaganda that would turn them against powerful leaders. It would be a simple way to bring out rage through lies and accusations, ruining any chance the opposing force would have at regaining their position. She stared emotionlessly at the screen. She wasn't processing any of it, choosing to occupy herself with her thoughts instead. Before she knew it, time had flown by.

Steven jumped up. "I-I've got to get back!" he stammered. "Peridot, we've got to go!"

More than happy to leave, Peridot gladly followed after him. "Thanks, Ronaldo, I'll come back soon!"

"Bring your cute new magic friend with you!" he shouted down the stairwell to them.

 _Cute_? She was a Gem that could squash him flat if she wanted to! She'd show him who was _cute_! She let it slide, feeling a bit sad as she realized she would have to go back to the Kindergarten for the night. The sun was getting close to setting, but it was still pretty bright. She could walk back from here. She didn't need to sleep, anyway.

"I can get back from here, Steven." she said and stopped.

"Huh? No, you don't have to go back!" he said.

"I'm not wandering around here all night-"

"No, but…" he seemed troubled with the answer, "I'll show you!"

She didn't like staying at the Kindergarten, it was a horridly lonely place with the constant threat of being investigated by the Crystal Gems. She followed him, growing nervous as they neared the temple. "Where are we going?" she dared to ask.

"The temple."

"What?! Steven, I can't just stroll on in and expect to be welcomed with open arms!" she protested and stopped.

"That's not it! You'll see what I mean, just trust me!" he said.

She felt conflicted. She was terrified of being captured by the Gems, but Steven knew that. He wouldn't intentionally put her in danger. She followed him as far as the opposite side of the cliff on which the temple was built before he stopped her. "Wait here." he said and ran up to his home.

He opened the door and looked around. "Pearl! Garnet! Amethyst! Anybody home?!" he shouted as loud as he could.

Silence.

He smiled wide and raced out to Peridot. "There not here!" he cheered. "They almost always check up on the warp areas right about now!"

She gulped and hesitantly followed him in. She stuck to him like glue as they went up the steps and entered, remembering how terrified she had been when she… "burped' the last time. Steven immediately ran to the door that warped the Gems to their room. He held up his shirt and shut his eyes. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon…" he murmured.

Sure enough, the pink gem on the door brightened up, opening the passage to Rose's room. Steven ran in, gesturing for Peridot to follow. It was made entirely of clouds and seemed to stretch on forever. She gawked at how pretty the pink tinted sky was. "Pretty cool, huh?" Steven asked.

"It's beautiful." she said. "Is this where I'm hiding for the time being?"

"Yup! Check it out, I want a big, soft bed."

 _Poof!_

Peridot was amazed when a luxurious bed appeared. She grinned, knowing how much fun this could be. "It only listens to me, though." he explained.

"I want some beanbag chairs! And some board games! And maybe a bowling alley!"

 _Poof!  
Poof!  
Poof!_

The room was full of wonderful things when Steven finished a long list. Not too long, as he knew not to overload the room with requests, of course. He taught Peridot the rules of bowling, _Citchen Calamity_ , and a few rounds of _Not That Sorry!_ The rules and techniques for playing seemed to be complicated and contradicting at times, but it was a fun way to try and take a chance with luck. She enjoyed it, and was thrilled to have a place she could confidently reside in. After a while, Steven had to leave. He bid Peridot goodnight and asked the room to stay the way it was for his friend, and then to let him go back. She was almost sad to see him leave.

Steven exited and changed into his pajamas, then curled up in his bed. He was so tired that he didn't hear the Gems return on the warp pad. Pearl had been talking. "…I think we should go back tomorrow, who knows if Peridot could be-"

Garnet waved an arm in front of her, signaling her to hush. The other two noticed Steven and smiled. "It's not even nine o'clock yet." Amethyst laughed. "He must've worn himself out."

"He did say he was taking Lion out for training, they probably just played the entire time." Pearl smiled.

They turned off the light and headed to their individual rooms, wondering how they would ever catch Peridot.


	7. Chapter Seven: Busted

Peridot was peacefully reflecting on the day, seeing as so much had happened. She held the reward that she had earned for skillfully matching colors on squares, a simple toy. What was its name again? Nerdy Wordy Bear. She toyed with its glasses and tie, noticing a zipper in the back. When opened, it was nothing but some kind of fluffy stuffing with a similar appearance to the clouds in the room. It was kind of cute, with its big dark eyes and sewn smile.

Her pleasant moment was interrupted when she heard humming. The silhouette of a thin, graceful figure was approaching. Peridot panicked and dived under the bed, peering out from underneath. Pearl waltzed in, then stopped. "Ugh, what a mess." she grumbled.

Peridot could only see her feet. She was about to look out further when one of the beanbag chairs suddenly popped and became clouds once more. Pearl had stabbed it with her weapon and moved on to the next one. Peridot went pale. She could be discovered! She wouldn't be able to escape herself, either! Steven was probably asleep and wouldn't hear her. She would be defeated, forced to retreat to her gem, and bubbled.

The other beanbag popped, then the board games, then parts of the bowling alley. She was approaching, completely unaware of the fact that her greatest enemy was right under her nose. Peridot closed her eyes and thought. Maybe, if she tried hard enough, she could sink into these clouds and hide. She began digging at the floor, replacing what was pulled loose onto her.

"Pearl!"

Time seemed to have stopped when Amethyst was heard. "What are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning Steven's mess!" she answered.

"It looks like he might've been using that stuff!"

Pearl's voice filled with guilt. "Oh, what if he was playing with all of this stuff!" she considered. "I hope he's not going to be upset."

"Just leave it alone and come on!"

Even though the two were gone, Peridot continued digging until she had completely concealed herself in a layer of the cottony substance, then curled up and shook.

* * *

Steven's eyes fluttered open as sunlight filtered through the blinds. He stretched and headed to the kitchen for breakfast, humming random notes that sounded nice. "Hey, Steven." Amethyst greeted as she and the others entered the room.

"Hi, guys. You want some toaster waffles?" he asked as he shoved a couple of the frozen foods into the appliance.

"Sure." Amethyst said and munched on a few of the still icy waffles with a loud crunch.

"I prefer pancakes." Garnet said.

Pearl fidgeted and gave a nervous smile. "Steven, I have to tell you something."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry, Steven, but I was in your mother's room and-"

"What?!"

 _DING!_

The waffles popped out of the toaster, but Steven didn't move. Pearl's fear caught in her throat at his reaction. She didn't expect him to be _that_ upset. "I was cleaning, but I didn't get rid of everything! The bed's still there."

Steven leaped from the counter, ignoring his breakfast, and raced to the door of the temple. "Openopenopenopen!" he bounced and begged, holding his gem against the door.

The door opened and he tumbled in, racing to all that was left of his day with Peridot. Pearl felt like she had disappointed him. "Don't worry about him." Amethyst placed a crumb-covered hand on her shoulder.

"Steven can fix everything with only a few words." Garnet added.

"You're right." Pearl agreed, happy to have the reassurance.

Steven looked under the bed, desperately hoping that Peridot would be there. "I want this bed to go over there!" he shouted.

The bed disappeared, its placement now several feet away. There was a lump visible in the cloud floor. Steven peeled layer after layer of the soft, plushy material away, revealing a quivering Peridot in fetal position. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"This close," she whispered, shakily, " _this_ close. She would've stabbed me with that shiny stick thingy in her head!"

"It's alright, now, she's not gonna-"

"There's no way I can stay here, Steven! They can just waltz right in whenever they feel like it! Do you know how big of a risk there is of them finding me in here?! I'll be nothing but shards before the week is over!" she continued, almost sobbing.

Steven sighed. He didn't think Pearl would visit this room out of the blue like that! That seriously narrowed down the places Peridot could hide. The Gems would definitely revisit the Kindergarten to investigate, they could easily find her in Rose's room and his own room, and she was too unfamiliar with people to just wander about Beach City. He had even thought about an epic underwater cave hideout, but Garnet could easily come across her while searching for Lapis and Jasper.

Underwater…

Steven had an idea, a great idea! "I want a pillow!" he said, holding out his hands.

When the object was formed, Steven gestured for Peridot to lean down, then pushed the pillow into her face. "Can you breathe?" he asked.

"You can't suffocate a Gem, Steven." Peridot informed.

"Great!"

* * *

"Okay, Lion, hold still." Steven instructed.

Lion obliged when he was given a Lion Licker as a prepayment. His mane began to glow as Steven touched it, making Peridot do a double-take. A personal, unlimited warp system, immense physical strength, a sonic roar, what else could this miraculous creature do? "I can't breathe in here, but you don't have to!" Steven cheered. "I'll give you a tour, but it has to be short."

Steven inhaled and dived in. Peridot hesitated, but followed cautiously. Steven was there with her, the two of them in what seemed like an endless stretch of pink plains. Her attention was brought to a little island in the middle, where several things were stored. She knew that some of the things, like snacks, drinks, and toys, were undoubtedly Steven's. She did recognize Rose's sword, however, and wondered about how Rose Quartz was related to this beast.

She didn't see Steven anywhere and grew worried. "Steven?" she called out.

He popped up from the tall grass again and led her to the little island. He unfolded a beach chair for her and allowed her to get comfy before handing her one of the lemon sodas he had kept inside. Everything seemed as if it were finally working out, now. Peridot didn't need air and now she was safely hidden and could stay constantly by Steven's side. Steven waved and left, leaving Peridot to relax.

It would be nice, here. No Gems, no Malachite, and no TV obsessed fryboy. She noticed that Steven's bear was also stashed away with her. She held it up to hers for a short comparison. His had a fabric helmet and sword, as well as a more determined expression, but they had the same smile. She looked at the top of a pile of toys nestled on the big tree's branches and noticed a bear with a similar shape to the two in her hands. She stood up and began to reach, wondering what human profession this one was meant to portray. It was quite a reach, so she moved her chair over and stood on it, stretching her arms as far as she could. Just as her fingers touched its soft fur, the chair broke, leaving her to tumble into the grass.

* * *

Steven left his mother's room, Lion following close behind. He felt so secure now that Peridot had a place to stay. The Gems looked up, wondering why Steven needed to bring Lion in the room with him. He seemed happy now, much to Pearl's relief. "I'm sorry I didn't think before trying to clean up that room, Steven." she apologized once more.

"It's okay, Peal, everything's fine, now." he smiled.

He tossed the Lion Licker wrapper in the garbage can, earning a funny look from Amethyst. "I thought you didn't like those." she said.

"I don't, but Lion does. I still say Cookie Cat forever, but these are kind of cute." he admitted.

"How did training Lion go, yesterday?" Pearl asked.

Steven looked around and laughed. "I… didn't actually train him. We just played around."

Pearl smiled, acknowledging that she was right. "I didn't think you two would."

"I did make a new friend, though!" he said.

"What's your new friend's name?" Garnet asked.

Steven remembered what he had told Amethyst and was about to say "Perry" when a thump was heard. He turned around and felt his stomach turn when he saw Peridot tumble out of Lion's mane and onto the floor. "Sorry, Steven, I was trying to-" she stopped, her face twisting in horror as she gazed upon the Crystal Gems, who stared at her in shock.


	8. Chapter Eight: Pirate Peridot?

The tension in the air for those few seconds of silence was so heavy that it drove Peridot insane. Her eyes widened, her muscles tensed, and she let out a scream.

"WAAAAAH!" she yowled and picked herself up with pure adrenaline.

The situation registered quickly, the Crystal Gems immediately pulling out their weapons. Peridot ducked behind Steven, curling up into a ball and clinging to him. "HELP ME, STEVEN!"

The Gems bounced back as Steven formed a bubble around himself and the green Gem, slightly surprised. "What do you think you're doing, Steven?!" Garnet asked, angrily.

He cringed. He hadn't seen her this upset since he refused to hand over the mirror Lapis was trapped in. He shook his head; that wasn't important right now. "Guys, she's not gonna fight!" he said.

"Steven, she's tried to kill you twice! Why are you protecting her now?!" Pearl asked furiously.

"I know, but that was before!"

"Before what?" Amethyst asked with anticipation.

Steven's expression changed. "When we were at the Kindergarten, she was there, and we talked. I came back to visit her last night, and we were hanging out all day. Guys, she isn't bad! She's taking orders from your Homeworld, she doesn't want the Earth at all!"

"You snuck out?!"

"You lied to me?!"

"You spent _all day_ with her?!"

The Gems sounded shocked, and Steven knew they were upset with him for his dishonesty. Even still, Peridot was his friend, now, and he was determined to clear her name up. "Please, listen to me!" he begged through the bubble. "I can prove she's not after us!"

He looked to her, sending a silent plea. She was still trembling from the shock of plopping right into their sight. What should she do? What should she say? She couldn't just ask them to be friends, it wouldn't be as simple in this case. She took a short breath and cleared her throat, standing on her feet. Her head tilted downward to avoid too much eye contact, resulting in a pitiful upturned gaze. "U-Um… I'm sorry I called you… clods." she said.

Garnet and Pearl exchanged odd looks. Amethyst was only slightly moved. Steven knew that this would probably be a good start. He smiled and gave his friend a nod of approval. She didn't look all the way up just yet, but brought out another apology. "I'm sorry I tried to reactivate the Kindergarten, too. I was only following orders."

This "apology" business was seriously bruising her ego, but her life was possibly on the line. Amethyst lowered her shoulders, easing up on her attack stance. There seemed to be hope, now, and Peridot felt like she had a chance. Steven turned to Garnet. "Garnet, what about the Centipeedle?" he said.

Pearl and Garnet's glares softened as they recalled the little monster Steven had tamed. "It saved me, and all it needed was a little love. Peridot's not a bug monster, she's my friend!"

"Friend?" Pearl thought aloud.

Steven didn't take his eyes off of Garnet. "Please, Garnet," he begged, "she doesn't want to be the bad guy anymore, but you need to give her a chance or she'll have to fight back!"

There was another moment of pure silence. Garnet put her weapons away. "Alright." she said.

"What?!" Pearl and Amethyst were shocked. "Garnet, we can't just-"

"Steven."

The boy looked up at the Gem fusion, smiling at her decision. "Yeah?"

"We will hold peace with Peridot."

Steven jumped up and down, laughing excitedly. The bubble disintegrated and he hugged Peridot tightly. "You can stay!" he cheered.

Peridot couldn't believe it. She was safe, now. Steven had saved her from an eternity in her Gem. She relaxed every muscle she had and hugged Steven back. "I-I… Steven, I…"

"Peridot."

She sat upright, straight as a stick when her name was heard. Garnet looked down at the two, her commanding tone snapping them out of their celebration. "You haven't gotten completely off the hook just yet. You have to earn our trust, and we will be keeping an eye on you until you do. You will do what we say, when we say it, with no protesting. Is that clear?"

She was… intimidating. Scary, even. She recalled Steven telling her that Jasper fused with Lapis. Someone like Jasper, who was so sure of their independent power, wouldn't fuse unless beaten by a fusion. It was only to be assumed that Garnet managed to defeat Jasper, a Gem that provoked fear in Peridot's heart. If Garnet was that strong…

"You got it!" Steven said with a thumbs up.

* * *

Peridot sat anxiously on the couch, shoving marshmallow after marshmallow into her mouth as the three Gems discussed something quietly. She was as close to Steven as possible, aware of the fact that they would hold off an attack if there was a risk of hurting Steven. She looked down and realized that she'd eaten the marshmallows and the bag itself.

"Don't worry," Steven said, "I'm sure they won't be haaaAAAH!"

"Steven, what's wrong- YAAAAAH!"

Several of Peridot's fingers were missing, leaving only a total of five left. She grabbed her stomach and started turning pale. The Gems raced in the room, weapons in hand. "What happened?!" Pearl scanned the room for any sign of a struggle.

"Peridot ate her fingers off!"

"He-he-help meeeee!" she begged in a sob.

"You ate your _fingers_?!" Amethyst looked at what was left of Peridot's digits. "Cool!"

"No," Pearl stated, " _not_ cool!"

Peridot's breathing had escalated to light hyperventilation. She looked at her fingerless hand like it had been cut off. "What do I do?!" she panicked.

Everyone immediately turned to Garnet, who stood still and calm the entire time. "Will they grow back?" she asked.

"No!" Peridot squeaked.

Pearl and Amethyst looked at Peridot with pity as she held her hand with fear. "Steven," her voice shook and her eyes were wide with fear, "what do I do?"

Steven didn't like this. She had been really worried when he accidentally ran off them. Twice. He couldn't imagine how she felt now that they were sitting inside her. Maybe he could fix it. The Gems watched as he fumbled with the contents of a drawer and took a piece of tape from another. "Here!" he said and placed a small platform with the top of a coat hanger on it. "Now you can be a pirate!"

He laughed nervously, but Peridot had tears forming in the corners of her eyes. This made Steven feel worse. He turned away, hoping not to see her…

Tears.

Without another word, he grabbed her wrist and licked his hand, rubbing the saliva on her limb. She was filled with surprise and disgust at the action, and then a draft from the slimy wetness. What would this help? Was this some kind of human pity display? She was about to thank him for his consideration when light enveloped her wrist. Five new fingers reappeared once the brightness faded.

"Steven, you…" she wiggled her new digits and looked up. "How did you do that?!"

"I have healing spit!" he declared with his arms raised.

She recalled the stories of Rose Quartz's healing tears. He mentioned fixing Lapis's gem, but she didn't think to inquire about his abilities, then. In truth, she wasn't really thinking about it, now. Her fingers were back! She had just grown new fingers! These were her precious fingers! Fingers, finger, fingers! Woo-hoo!

"Thank you, Steven!" she nearly popped his organs out of him with a bear hug.

"O-Okay, you can pay me back by not wringing my guts." he coughed.

She let him down and smiled widely. Steven caught this smile, happiness was much too contagious for him not to. "You wanna try some toaster waffles?" he asked.

"Heck yeah!" she said with energy that surely wouldn't last and followed the boy to the appliance.

The Gems put their weapons away and watched. It was like watching Steven play with Connie. A tall, green, alien Connie that brought hostility out of them. "I don't know if we should be letting her do this." Pearl frowned.

"You think we need to put her in a bubble?" Amethyst suggested. "You know, like, a really big bubble that she could walk in."

"Amethyst, we can't keep her as a pet!" Pearl argued.

"It'll be fine." Garnet said.

"How can you be so sure?" Pearl asked, worried for Steven's safety.

"It's Steven." she said and smiled. "He knows what he's doing."

Pearl sighed. Amethyst watched as Steven topped their waffles with loads of syrup, powdered sugar, whipped cream, sprinkles, popcorn, caramel, and a single maraschino cherry. He was having so much fun with her, and she didn't have any Gem artifacts or corrupted monsters to attend to. He used to have fun with her doing things like this. It made her… uneasy.

"Hey, Peridot." she got her former enemy's attention. "I've got a question for you."

"What?"

Amethyst placed a hand on her hip and gave Peridot a dark grin. "If you've changed, then you won't mind telling us what you were doing at the Kindergarten, right?"


	9. Chapter Nine: Halves

Pearl stayed behind to set aside a place for Peridot to rest. Amethyst didn't want to go back to the Kindergarten again and was in a bad mood over her jealousy. Garnet led the way to the power source in the core of the Kindergarten, Peridot and Steven flanking the group. She didn't speak or look back, making Peridot all the more nervous. She would be in so much trouble with the Homeworld if they found out what she was doing, and the consequence was more than likely death. Steven walked close by, watching her face contort darkly as she continued behind them. He knew the Gems would definitely keep a promise, especially if Garnet approved. He had been told about how cruel the Homeworld could be, and he wondered if Peridot knew much more about that than she could really handle or would dare to let on about.

"Peridot?" he tried to talk to her. "Are you alright?"

She looked down at him with guilt. "I-I'm sorry you have to see this, Steven." she said.

They slid down the slope and Steven landed on one of the air mattresses he had brought before. "Oh, hey," he laughed. "I forgot about these."

He gasped and ran over. "Cheeseburger backpack! Papa missed you…"

Cans and wrappers were still laying in the floor from Peridot's first experience with eating. It was a fond memory trapped in such a dark place. She looked at Steven. Such an innocent human child. "Excuse me," she stopped, "G-Garnet, is it?"

The Gem stopped when she heard her name, but said nothing. Peridot cleared her throat. "I think Steven should take his air mattresses back home before we begin investigating," she said, "so they don't get messed up."

Steven didn't exactly like this idea. "I can take them as I leave."

"They're really comfy, Steven," she smiled weakly at him, "I was wanting to use one to sleep on."

Garnet realized she was playing on Steven's compassion. Sending Steven away would leave her without someone to remind her to get along with the Crystal Gems. Then again, that would leave her defenseless if she wanted to attack. Gems like Peridot knew better than to attack Gems like Garnet. That was a fact. There was something she didn't want Steven to see. "Steven, why don't take the mattresses and tell Pearl that we're all having another slumber party tonight." Garnet said.

Steven looked up at her as if she had placed the key to the world in his hands. He grabbed the mattresses, one under each arm, and ran back to the warp pad. Peridot briefly wondered if it would've been easier to deflate them first, but she desperately wanted to get this over with. Once he was out of earshot, she trudged on.

"This way." she said, her words barely audible.

Garnet followed, suspicious of what would happen. She could feel it, Peridot's absolute fear of… something. Suddenly, the green Gem stopped and pointed to a pillar. "Th-This is the fusion experiment located in the Kindergarten unit on p-planet Earth," her tone sounded formal, yet extremely uneasy, "known as the Cluster."

She reached out and touched it, hesitating to do so and quickly pulling her hand away once she made contact. Several of the pillars from the ceiling began opening, producing several conjoined limbs. Garnet looked at them, but dismissed them momentarily. That was, until the Cluster began screaming. It crawled out, making an ungodly screeching sound as it formed a hand-like limb with forcibly fused shards holding them together. It horrified her. These were the shards of the fallen that were never found, the ones that were supposed to be buried with the rest…

A tear fell from her eye, and she shook her head in shock. She… she could feel it… she was going to defuse…

"Help them, Garnet."

The voice was so small that it made her snap out of it for a moment. This moment was long enough to give her a second to think. "I-I'm sorry…" she said and ripped the monstrosity apart.

The creation screamed, dropping its shards once it disappeared. She bubbled it quickly, then looked down blankly.

"So _this_ is what Homeworld thinks of fusion!" she almost spat.

"We couldn't have known they would do this…" she said, softly.

" _This_ is where they've been! All the ones we couldn't find, they've been here the whole time!" she said with rage.

"Rose couldn't have known." she sounded gentle again.

"This is punishment for the rebellion!" she yelled to what seemed like no one.

"It's not our fault!"

She began to glow, and she slowly split down the middle. Two Gems popped out from her sides. Ruby and Sapphire themselves. "R-Ruby, wait!" Sapphire attempted to reach out and stop her.

Ruby jumped, running over to Peridot. "What did you do?!" she screamed, pinning her down. "You sick, disgusting _things_!"

"Wait, just let her explain…"

"How could you let them do this? Is this what filth like you wants to think is okay? They gave their lives for the sake of others, you stupid, dirty-"

"Ruby, STOP!"

The red Gem turned around. Sapphire had a tear running down her face. "L-Look at her." she whispered.

Ruby looked down, and could've easily mistaken Peridot for a dead body. Her eyes were lifeless, her limbs were lifeless, and she was just lying there, taking all of it. "I didn't want to…" she murmured. "They'll kill me, now."

Ruby seemed a little broken by this. This Gem was forced into carrying out such a dark task, and, now that she remembered, was compassionate enough to not want Steven to see it. Her anger hadn't faded, though. "Fusion is a choice." she growled. "How dare you let them do this!"

Peridot was getting a little fumed, now. "They were going to kill me if I didn't." she said.

"They were honorable warriors!"

"They were already dead!"

Those words hit like a bullet. Peridot used a ray from her fingers to bring the conjoined shards to her. "I can fix it, calm down!"

With only a little spark from her fingers, the shards were individual pieces once again. "You think I felt good about supervising this experiment? You think I wanted to go to Earth to do Yellow Diamond's dirty work?! I might have stayed with the Homeworld, but I didn't want to do this!"

Peridot seemed to be crying. She was so upset now. Ruby looked at her, now knowing that she understood what fusion was on a level as deep as Garnet's. She let go and stood up, then let out a sigh. Peridot calmed herself down and stood in front of her. "Here."

She dropped the shards into Ruby's hand, refusing eye contact. "I've never done it before, you know."

"Never done what?" Ruby asked, grouchily folding her arms.

"You've never fused?" Sapphire asked.

Peridot seemed embarrassed now. She copied Ruby's stance unintentionally and nodded while looking away. Ruby snickered. "Of course _you_ haven't-" she paused when she saw the look Sapphire was giving her.

Sapphire approached gently. "Fusion isn't something to be afraid of or to rush into," she said, "fusion is an experience, a stronger feeling than anything you'll ever experience."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "when you fuse with someone, you don't feel like two people, or like just one person, you feel… like both at the same time."

The red Gem approached her partner, looking deep into her eye. "You understand just how close you are with that Gem and see what the two of you can become right then and there, with that Gem always there… always with you…"

The two couldn't stand being apart anymore. They began dancing without notice, becoming Garnet once more. Peridot watched, but couldn't bring herself to look at the fused Gem head on. She still had the Gem shards in her left hand, offering the other to Peridot. She was almost afraid to take it, but had faith in the Gem's promise to Steven. She was about to open her mouth to speak when a pair of forcibly fused hands tugged at her ankle.

 _WHAM!_

Garnet poofed and bubbled all of them quickly and quietly, then looked at Peridot. "When we return, you will defuse all of these shards" she said in a commanding tone.

Peridot nodded, ready to leave. She was ready to go back to the temple, but Garnet wasn't moving. She was about to ask if anything was wrong when the fusion turned around. "Sorry about earlier. I wasn't feeling like myself." she said and walked on.

Peridot paused. Was that… a fusion joke? It… it was decently funny. Garnet stopped again, offering a "heh" laugh. Laughter was truly contagious. Peridot laughed as well, and, for a moment, they forgot about the horrors they had just witnessed.


	10. Chapter Ten: Movie Night

"What?!" Pearl was infuriated. "We are _not_ having a slumber party with _her_!"

"But Garnet said we were!" he pouted. "She told me to bring these back and tell you."

As if right on cue, Garnet and Peridot walked in. Pearl seized the opportunity to hopefully confirm that it wasn't true. "Garnet, Steven mistakenly thought you said-"

"We're having a slumber party. All of us." she said.

Pearl's expression saddened. Only two days earlier she had wanted to crush this Gem and fling her back into space where she belongs. Now she was being forced to have _fun_ with her in a common ritual of human children? She was especially steamed at the thought of having to watch the bond between the two grow deeper right in front of her eyes. Even still, she wouldn't argue with Garnet's decision. She had future vision, after all. It was best to just let it go.

Steven managed to pull his mattress off of his bed and drag it down the steps. "We're gonna have a mega slumber party," Steven said as he tossed pillows and blankets downstairs, "that means we get to be fancy!"

Peridot looked at the things on the floor. Steven's mattress was bigger than the inflated ones. Another thought came to mind, how did he fit those through the door without deflating them? It did look like it would fit if turned sideways. Maybe he asked one of those two Gems… where had the purple one gone? She was here when they left, right? Steven said her name was Amethyst and that she particularly enjoyed human culture. She might even know enough to answer a few questions.

"Hey, Peridot," her friend's voice brought her out of her thoughts again, "try laying on a real mattress, it's got springs in it!"

Springs? Air seemed much more efficient, especially on such a poor planet like this one. When the analysis was done, she was actually surprised at how low the mineral content of Earth was. She knew springs were made of solid material, and that could easily run out. Air particles were plentiful in many places. Why would they ever-

"Hey, Steven, check this out!" Amethyst burst into the room. "I gotcha something."

Steven met her at the bottom of the stairs and watched as she produced a black box with a pice of paper taped to it. He read something silently and his mouth formed a perfect "O" as he gasped. "Dogcopter 3?! But it hasn't been released on DVD yet!" he said with welcomed shock.

Amethyst smiled proudly. "Yeah, but your nerd friend had it on his computer thing and put it on one of these babies."

"Ronaldo had a digital copy? How did you get him to give you a DVD?" Steven asked as he looked at his distorted reflection on the back of the disk.

"I gave him a shard from one of those marble things _she_ sent for us to break." Amethyst gestured to Peridot.

"Cool! I know, I'll pop some popcorn and we can watch this before bed." Steven looked to Garnet. "Garnet, can you bring the TV down here?"

After extension cords and beds were sorted out, Peridot was given the chance to see a microwave. It was a simple design that served a purpose of no more than a basic heating device. She was fascinated by the sound the tiny kernels made as they burst into fluffy wads of buttery and husky food. From what Steven had said, it was supposed to enhance the experience of watching a movie. Amethyst watched the two of them take a seat on the mattress, her hair falling over her eyes. Peridot noticed quite a difference in the support of this mattress and the other. This one seemed a bit more stable and easier to keep your balance on than the other.

Pearl and Garnet took their seats on the inflated mattresses Steven had brought; Pearl intentionally taking the one the farthest away. Steven turned off the lights and inserted the disc, the tiny machine letting out a gentle roar as it processed the information. Peridot remembered witnessing such a function when they visited the boy with the curly blond hair. He was obsessed with the animations portrayed by an image machine like this one, making her secretly hope Steven wouldn't pick up an unhealthy habit like that.

Steven rejoined her on the mattress and handed her some popcorn. The movie had been downloaded, meaning no commercials or unnecessary advertisements before the feature began. "Alright!" Steven focused every ounce of his being into watching the movie he had seen with Connie again.

Peridot had a little more faith in the quality of this piece of entertainment, but not much. She caught on to the general plot and idea quickly, and could easily guess how different scenes would end. "This is completely scientifically inaccurate, Steven," she said, "something that size and shape in real life would require a different kind of propeller."

"It's just a movie." he said, secretly wondering what kind of propeller would make him fly.

They watched as Dogcopter shot multiple missiles at a target, each of them exploding in rapid succession. Peridot was once again a bit upset. "You could never store that many missiles of that size in that small of a container!" she argued, "Humans don't have the technology necessary to perform teleportation either!"

"It's a sci-fi, Peridot," Steven said, "that means science _fiction_."

She didn't someone to tell her when something was fake. This was a fabrication that popped out of some human child's wildest dream. She folded her arms and muttered to herself just loud enough for the others to hear. "It'll be another century before this race catches up with the last eon of tech in the Homeworld…"

Speaking of the Homeworld, she hadn't reported or shown any signs of still existing. There was no way Jasper had if she was still fighting for control the dominant half of Malachite, and Lapis couldn't comprehend anything modern. Maybe they would assume she was dead. If they didn't, however, they would hunt her down. Being found meant being punished for not following orders directly, which could lead to actual death.

Pearl looked up, wondering what could be going through Peridot's head. She had stopped grumbling and looked somewhat like a zombie, now. She stared forward, lost in thought. Pearl was still suspicious. She had fought hard to find that Gem and, now that she had, she was just supposed to sit back and watch her play with Steven? What was Garnet thinking arranging a slumber party? Sleep would leave them all vulnerable to her! She could easily kill them all and help Malachite escape the ocean, which would be the Earth's end. That wasn't going to happen. She promised to protect the Earth… for Rose…

Peridot moved. Pearl was constantly on guard, her spear sitting right behind her. She watched Peridot turn to Steven, her eyes slightly glazed over. Pearl waited tensely for something to happen, for a reason to strike and finally defeat her enemy. She watched, waiting impatiently. She saw her hands raise and gripped her spear just as Peridot… hugged Steven.

What?

She released her grip and looked closely. Peridot had indeed wrapped her arms around the child and was holding him close to her, a solemn expression on her face. What… was this some kind of sneak attack? Some tactic playing on the child's sense of affection? Her chance to battle never came. Steven continued to inhale popcorn, but leaned in and rested against the green Gem that looked so… depressed. Pearl was confused, what did this mean? She was about to march over and pry the two apart when a single tear fell from Peridot's eye.

Sadness. Genuine sadness. Her worst enemy was snuggling up to all that she had left of Rose and crying. No weapon, no muscle tension, no sign of ever wanting to hurt the boy. If anything, she looked like she wanted no more than to disappear somewhere where it would be just her and Steven, no Crystal Gems, no Yellow Diamond, no Homeworld. Just her and a human child with an amazing talent at comforting those that needed reassurance. That's when the thought came. She couldn't imagine the fear in Peridot's heart. She knew how cruel Homeworld could be and what they would dare do to Gems that disobeyed. Peridot would now be considered part of the rebellion and would more than likely be put on the hit list of whoever came to Earth next.

Peridot looked up, noticing that Pearl was staring. The air itself seemed still as a few seconds passed, then Pearl offered a brief yet friendly smile.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Macaroni Shells

The movie finished, but Steven hadn't managed to stay awake that long. Neither had Peridot. Steven had curled up in his blanket while Peridot sprawled out on her back, her legs bending at the knees and hanging off the mattress. The two were fast asleep way before the credits started rolling. Pearl was lying on her stomach, somewhat missing the nights she spent watching Steven sleep. It felt good to stand there by his side like a guardian, ready to protect the last thing Rose left her. It had honestly hurt her a little when he asked her not to.

Now she was looking at an image that she thought would surely have horrified her: her former enemy. It was hard to handle, knowing that Steven had befriended and was now protecting this enemy she long pursued like a dog. What was even harder to think about was the fact that Peridot hadn't intentionally done anything wrong, it was all Homeworld's orders. She was justified in fighting back when attacked, anyone would defend themselves.

Peridot might change her mind the way Greg did so many years ago. She remembered how much resentment and jealousy she felt towards Rose's lover. Every aspect of her life was dedicated to Rose, and then it was all taken away from her in only a short while. She had barely known Greg when that happened, but Peridot had a past with her. That would be harder to forgive and forget. She could do it, though, and she knew that. She could do it for Rose, and she could do it for Steven.

She heard a noise from the kitchen and stood up to investigate. Amethyst was rummaging through the fridge loudly. From Pearl's angle, the purple Gem's hair was obscuring her face. "Amethyst, be quiet, Steven is sleeping!" she whispered.

"Don't worry about it, he's a rock." she muttered.

She plopped down on the unoccupied mattress and began shoving macaroni shells in her mouth. Pearl made a face. "Do you have to eat like that? You're making a mess!" she said and pointed to the broken shells on the floor.

"It's fine, no one cares about some stupid macaroni things!" she almost yelled.

Pearl was taken aback by this. Something was wrong, deeply wrong. Amethyst noticed her volume and looked up, but turned away when Pearl made eye contact. "Why is he hanging out with her, now, she's such a nerd!" Amethyst said and poured the remainder of the hard shells in her mouth.

Pearl sat next to her. "Amethyst, he's not replacing you." Pearl assured. "You know how Steven is with new friends. Remember when he first met Connie? She came over almost every day for about a week!"

Amethyst seemed to come out of her shell. "It's just… they were hanging out at the boardwalk all day yesterday like we do. They went to the arcade and got some useless junk like we do. They even watched a movie with popcorn like we do! I thought he would _love_ watching 'Dogcopter 3' with me, but he sat with her and… and… AUGH!"

The purple Gem launched her bowl across the room with power. Pearl was surprised that the plastic hadn't been dented after such a throw. She was about to be upset about the noise, but she couldn't stop thinking about how things turned out with Rose and Greg. "I know how you feel, Amethyst," she said, softly, "I didn't think I'd ever be able to stop hating Greg when he met Rose. We now have a positive relationship that-"

"Don't give me that garbage!" Amethyst growled. "You want me to be like you and grow up? You finally started liking Greg, and how did that end?"

Pearl was speechless, silently hoping she wouldn't finish, but she did. "Well, now Rose is gone, and we'll _never_ get her back!"

With her piece said, Amethyst crossed her arms and lay down on her side. Pearl stood up and began walking towards the door to the temple. She spoke, but didn't turn around.

"I was only trying to help."

Her voice sounded so… broken. It made Amethyst feel guilty. She mentally recapped the conversation and what she had just said, feeling her heart sink. She sat up, too hesitant and proud to say anything in time. The door closed. The damage was done.

It was true, Rose left for good. Despite this, she was the happiest she had ever been when she was with Greg. She remembered watching them dance when Greg tried to fuse with her. You could almost reach out and touch the love in the air. If the two were Gems, they might've stayed fused for the same romantic reasons as Ruby and Sapphire. But then they wouldn't have Steven.

Steven was the only one that seemed to stay by her side no matter how weird, gross, or irrational she was. He was like his mother in that same compassionate and loving way that warmed her heart when she was young. As much as she loved remembering her childhood at the Kindergarten, she would've gladly traded it all away for the warm, matriarchal welcome Rose gave her when they met. Steven could make her feel accepted in that same manner.

Acceptance.

That's all Steven wanted from her, acceptance for Peridot. Was that too big a favor to ask? Garnet seemed okay with her, and Pearl was warming up to her presence unusually quickly. Deep down, Amethyst knew that she was irreplaceable in Steven's heart. Steven was like Rose, bringing out the welcome wagon to a friend that felt like a stranger. She felt a little like Pearl, now, envious of such attention.

She smirked. Peridot and Pearl had something in common: low tolerance. Any little thing could easily set them off. It'd be even more fun having two sets of buttons to push. Whenever she and Pearl were arguing, Peridot could stand as her backup nerd. They were both pretty big dorks when it came to technology. It was a wonder they weren't having a conversation no one else could understand. Why even bother pronouncing a word that has more syllables than you do toes?

It was late and Peridot probably wouldn't leave Steven. Amethyst went back to the fridge and ate the cheese packets that came with the macaroni, taking the empty box to be stored in her room. In the end, everything would be fine. Somehow, luck always smiled down on them. As she was about to leave, a small and tired voice called out to her.

"Goodnight, Amethyst…" Steven yawned and rolled over.

The purple Gem looked at him, wondering if he'd heard the exchange with Pearl. "G'night, Steven."

Once the door had closed and the room was clear of Crystal Gems, Peridot sat up and stretched. These Gems were cut deep when Rose left. She would've thought that they would be upset with Steven and blame his existence for her lack thereof, but they all loved him unconditionally. These were the qualities that they missed in the great Gem that fought for Earth, and they were now reliving them through life raising this boy. It was a bit of a sad concept, really. She wondered if she'd be able to fit in to this little group.

It would definitely take time before she would be fully accepted, but, for once, she was ready to be patient. There was something here that she had never experienced while in Homeworld, something she had ached for in all of her being but had been denied, and it was the love this "family" had. Now that it was in her grasp, she was determined to hold on and protect it. No more standing by as Yellow Diamond committed atrocity after atrocity, no more pushing away all others to look out for herself, just her and the Chronic Gems.

Or… did Steven call them the Crystal Gems?


	12. Chapter Twelve: Aftertaste

Steven's eyes fluttered open as he looked around the room. Light came in through the windows, illuminating the mess left over from last night. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, yawning. "Good morning, Peridot. How did you sleep?"

No response.

"Peridot? Hey, Peridot, where'd you go?" Steven looked around.

He was about to get up and search for her when he tripped over something on the floor.

"WHOA!" he said as he hit the floor with a thud.

Peridot was curled up in the floor, clutching her stomach. She let out a groan.

"Ugh, oh..." she whined.

"Peridot? Are you okay?" Steven put a hand to her forehead.

He helped her up and guided her to the bathroom. "What is this? Some kind of... chamber?" she pitifully attempted to speak.

"It's a bathroom. If you feel like your gonna be sick, just come in here." he said as he rubbed her back.

"Why?" she asked.

"If you throw up, it's a lot easier to clean up when all of the mess is in the toilet."

Mess? What did he mean by that? Did sickness in humans mean some kind of... excretion? But what could she possibly have to get rid of? The idea hit her like a bus. Gems weren't meant to eat human food, they simply did not need the energy, yet she consumed it anyway. Had she poisoned herself? Impossible, the purple one ate like this all the time! In fact, most of the things the Amethyst ate weren't even considered food to the humans themselves. Maybe it was a temporary feeling that required her to... to...

Steven saw the look on the Gem's face and his eyes widened. "In the toilet!" he said and grabbed her by the shoulders to position correctly.

He acted just in time. Everything that had once been an intriguing learning experience had now become a mass of absolute horror that spewed from her mouth. She wretched and gagged, horrified by what was happening. Were her insides self-destructing? What was this? It was all so terrible, until the pain in her gut began to fade. Perhaps this was a natural reaction. Steven seemed confident in knowing what to do, as if he too had experienced such an illness. She was about to peer into to the "toilet" to see what monstrosity her mouth had loosed, but Steven covered her eyes.

"Don't look at it!" he warned, "you'll get sick again!"

She took his advice, remembering all that she had consumed, including her fingers. After a few moments of panting and pain, everything seemed to be back to normal. Steven pulled his shirt up over his nose as the sour smell of partial digestion hit him. The vomit was flushed away. He provided her a shoulder to balance herself on and helped her to the couch. Pearl was in the living room, deflating the mattresses and picking up the mess. "Oh, there you two are!" she greeted.

Peridot lay on her side, pale and sickly looking. "Is everything okay, Steven?" Pearl asked, wondering how he'd managed to bring her into such a state.

"Peridot got sick." he said and threw a blanket over his friend.

The very idea of a potential mess in the bathroom made Pearl immediately run for the mop and disinfectant. "Oh, my, how... unfortunate." she said, trying her best not to sound sarcastic.

It was hard to pity someone that was considered the enemy just yesterday. With her cleaning supplies in hand, she awkwardly made her way to the bathroom. "Let me know if you... make any more... messes."

Ignoring Pearl's unusual behavior, Steven tried to comfort his friend. "Don't worry, I get sick when I eat too much, too." he said.

"So this is a natural consequence of eating? If I calculate how much I can eat within a certain period of time, can I prevent such an episode?" a ray of hope had appeared.

"Well, it won't come out of your mouth." Steven answered, hoping she wouldn't request any further information.

" _All_ food has this effect on your body?" she asked, disheartened by such information.

"Well, I guess you could chew gum without having to worry about anything." Steven suggested.

"Gum? What is that?"

"Well, it's food you don't swallow. You just chew it."

"Why?"

"Because it tastes good."

"So you just chew on it forever?"

"Well, no. The taste goes away and it gets all rubbery after a while."

"What do you do with it then?"

"You spit it out."

"That's it?"

"Yup. No digestion necessary! It is kinda bad for your teeth, though. Unless you get the sugar free kind, then it's okay."

"Steven?"

"Yeah, Peridot?"

"Do you have any 'gums'?"


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Disolved

The tide rolled in, washing up two almost lifeless bodies. Jasper pulled herself up with what little energy she had left. She looked up from the beach, instantly recognizing her surroundings. The temple in which those stupid Crystal Gems watched over some stupid planet for some stupid reason. Why? These miserable creatures didn't deserve that, they probably didn't even show any gratitude! There was nothing to gain from this silly circus act of pretending to be morally superior for saving a doomed race, so why do it? Her confusion and rage from defeat clouded her mind as she staggered forward. Lapis was still struggling to stand, giving her an opportunity.

"No! Leave him alone!" the blue Gem plead, but to no avail.

Jasper charged at the house, grunting in slight pain, but fueled by hatred.

* * *

"You smell different." Peridot commented.

"Yeah, I got this new shampoo and it's great! It's called," Steven paused to clear his throat and fake a much more mature voice, "'Blow Her Away'."

"What's sham-poo?" she asked.

"It's this stuff that comes in a bottle and you put it in your hair when you shower. It gets rid of dandruff and makes you smell awesome! Wait here, I'll show you!" he hopped down from the couch and headed back to the bathroom.

What was dandruff? Did it affect Gems? Peridot ran her fingers through her hair. Everything seemed normal. Then again, something could've been wrong all along. Perhaps her hair was meant to be different, but she had adjusted to it and assumed that a problem was mere normalcy. Maybe she should try this shampoo and see if any changes occurred. What was she supposed to do with it? Pour the contents of a bottle on her head and wait for something to happen? Steven's hair was wet, but the solution was obviously nothing more than water. None of the shampoo substance seemed to remain. Did the shampoo collect the dandruff together so that it could be rinsed away? What a genius chemical this was!

Peridot was about to speculate on even more of Earth's oddities, but something was wrong. She could almost sense it, like something huge was about to go down. She hoped to quell her fears by looking outside and showing herself that there was nothing to worry about. She saw the beach, where endless layers of sand deposits met with endless waves of salt water. Everything was fine. She sighed with relief.

 _SLAM!_

A mass of orange, scarlet, and messy hair bulldozed through the wall. Looking through the visor of her crash helmet, Jasper looked for any one of the Gems. In the corner, Peridot shivered.

"You," her gruff voice sent shivers down the green Gem's spine, "you coward!"

"H-Hold it! You are my _escort_! This behavior would not be-"

"Shut up!" Jasper bellowed. "If _you_ wouldn't have chickened out and stayed to fuse with me and that brat, we would've won control and beat those _Crytsal Gems_ into the ground, you twerp!"

She reached out, grabbing a screaming and squirming Peridot by the torso.

"Put me down, you clod!"

 _POOF!_

She barely had time to finish her sentence before she was squashed. Her limb enhancers fell loudly to the floor. Jasper began crushing the pieces as she searched the pile for Peridot's Gem.

"Peridot!" Steven's cry caught her attention.

Indignation consumed her once more as she saw the weak form Rose Quartz had taken on before her again. She pulled back her fist to punch. Steven acted with hat he had: a bottle of shampoo. He squeezed it, popping the lid off and coating Jasper's face in manly scented soap. With that distracting his enemy, Steven lunged into the pile and quickly found his friend. To keep her safe, he bubbled her and sent her to the basement.

"Guys, help!" Steven shouted as he tried to find somewhere to hide while Jasper scraped her face with her beefy hands.

He ran out the door and tripped going down the stairs, but adrenaline helped him up. He stopped. What was he supposed to do? If he ran into town, Jasper would terrorize innocent people. With only one idea, he conjured up an airtight bubble and raced out into the ocean. The water went over his head, concealing him from view after several feet, but he continued. He kept running into the water until he hit something solid.

"Oomf!" he grunted as he fell on his back.

He thought it may have been a rock or a large fish, but he was wrong.

"Lapis?"

"Steven!" she smiled. "You're okay!"

"Lapis, it's great to see you again and all, but I need your help!" he said.

"It's Jasper, I know." she said nonchalantly.

"She's gonna find me, Lapis, and then she's gonna squeeze me like toothpaste! The Gems aren't back yet, she'll wreck the boardwalk if we don't stop her!"

"Steven, just stay here with me and she'll never find us." Lapis reasoned.

"No, don't you understand? We have to help everyone! If we don't, they could get hurt!"

"And if we do, they won't care!" Lapis protested.

Steven flinched as she raised her voice. She noticed this and deeply sighed. "Those Crystal Gems will probably figure this out. I'm sure they can handle her."

"Lapis," Steven spoke gently, "they're being nice to Peridot because she showed them that she could be nice. If you show them that you can help people, they'll see that you're good, too."

It was a valid argument, but she didn't want to help those that ignored her trapped existence. This wouldn't directly help them, though. This would be saving Steven and his other friends. This would be helping Steven, the one that showed her true compassion and friendship after all those centuries of watching the Earth change. She restrained Jasper once for him; she could fight Jasper for him.

"Fine."


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Under the Shell

Jasper threw the door off of its hinges as she scanned the beach for her foe. Peridot's gem was gone; he must've taken it with him! There, just at the shoreline, she could see what appeared to be marks from a circular object. She once heard talk about humans needing oxygen and that the levels of that element were too low for humans to survive in water. It just had to be him, attempting to hide away in the ocean. Lapis had tried to protect him upon their arrival, lying and saying that he was only a human. Was _she_ trying to hide him? She was no better than those traitorous Crystal Gems! No problem, though. She would march into the waves and hunt them down herself.

Before she could take her first step into the water, the tide began to recede. It drew back further than it naturally she should have, forming a rather tall pillar. Standing on the top of this water formation were Lapis Lazuli and Steven. This upset the Gem. "What are you doing, Lapis? You're really going to against the Diamond Authority for _that_?" Jasper said, pointing a thick finger at Steven.

"Hey!" Steven didn't like being referred to as a "that".

A tall wave slowly built behind the blue Gem as she sighed. "I was alone for all those years. I thought going home would be my one chance to have a normal life again... to be happy. But... the Diamonds don't care about anything but themselves. I was nothing more than a prisoner, someone else to boss around and step on. Steven is the only friend I've made in _centuries_!" she said.

Steven could hear the loneliness in her voice. "Aw, Lapis," he whispered to himself.

"I'm not letting anyone else walk all over me anymore," she said, holding up an arm, "not you, not the Crystal Gems, not even the Diamonds."

The wave twisted into a fist, casting a massive shadow that seemed to belittle Jasper's hefty frame.

"I'm my own Gem, now."

 _SPALSH!_

Sand and water flew everywhere as Jasper was crushed by the weight of the water. Garnet could fight off the power, but Lapis was weak then. Now, without fear of the Diamonds hanging over her head, she had no regrets in standing up for herself. She lifted the water soundlessly, leaving a small, cracked Gem in a crater of sand. She desperately wanted to smash it, to shatter it into tiny pieces, but Steven was looking at her. She couldn't do something like that in front of him, although she couldn't explain her motive for being peaceful now. Steven grabbed her hand.

"Lapis, I'm gonna bubble her so she doesn't get broken." he said.

She hesitated before lowering the two of them to the shoreline. Steven slid down and collected the Gem, sending it to the basement. He wanted to do something for his friend, but he didn't know what. "Do you... wanna come inside?"

She looked at him, said nothing, and looked away. "Please, Lapis?" he asked nicely.

He smiled when she walked up to what remained of the front door. "We'll probably have to fix that." he said as he stepped over the door.

He brushed dust off of the couch and gestured for her to have a seat, but she was staring at the pile of Peridot's limb enhancers. "What is... did she just...?"

"Oh my gosh, I forgot about Peridot!" Steven said. "I'll be right back!"

His mother's room opened and granted him access to the basement upon request. There were so many bubbles, but Peridot's was fairly easy to find. Right next to the Centipeedle and her favorite chips, as well as Jasper. He popped it, allowing Peridot to reform. Unaware of her new surroundings, Peridot slapped him in the face.

"Ow!" he cried out.

"Wha- Steven?"

He held his face in pain. "Aww, you really socked me, Perido-o-ot!"

"What is it? Is it Jasper?!" Peridot attempted to use her canon, but her arms were bare. "My... limb enhancers!"

"You're so _cute_!" Steven remarked, wide-eyed at how much closer they were in height.

"I am not cute!" her voice cracked, but she stood her ground. "Where are we and why am I- oh my stars."

The room was full of Gems, all trapped in tiny bubbles and unable to take on their physical form. "Were those clods going to _harvest_ me?" she asked in a small voice.

"No, these are corrupted Gems that threaten life on Earth." he explained. "I sent you here so Jasper wouldn't break your Gem."

"Where is the Jasper?" Peridot took on a defensive position, quickly scanning the room.

"I bubbled her," Steven said and pointed, "she's right over there."

"You defeated her? You even... cracked her Gem?"

"No, that was Lapis."

Peridot ave him an odd look. The Lazuli went against a loyal soldier of the Gem she once greatly feared _twice_. She had a backbone after all. If she still trusted and respected Steven, she could be a great ally if the Diamonds attempt an attack. She was very powerful, especially now that her Gem had been fixed. A Gem with that potential was not someone Peridot wanted as an enemy, she needed to show her that they were on the same side. They both had a bond with Steven and a lack of trust for the Crystal Gems, perhaps they could gossip about them while they weren't around. It seemed like a fun idea, but would Lapis let bygones be bygones? She hadn't mistreated her the way Jasper had. Then again, she hadn't really acknowledged her at all. Hopefully she didn't have a grudge against her for having not helped her out. They had a common fear of Yellow Diamond's authority, though. With that in common, surely she'd make a good impression.

"Where is the Lazuli?"

"She's in the living room. You wanna see her?"

Peridot was quiet. "Will you go with me?" she asked, shyly.


End file.
